Ralph Lauren quietly shuttered its two-year-old 20,000-square-foot store last week. Other brands are expected to close boutiques in a city that has lost its luster for cash-rich mainland Chinese tourists.

Diamond and Dollars… Winging to Rio… Armani in Moscow…

Christie’s New York jewelry sales held on Wednesday brought in more than $46.5 million.

GOING ONCE: Christie’s New York jewelry sales held on Wednesday brought in more than $46.5 million. The total includes the $7.7 million sale of the 33.02-carat Annenberg Diamond. One of the sales, “Rare Jewels and Objets d’Art: A Superb Collection,” from the Ralph Esmerian and Fred Leighton collections, brought in more than $18.7 million — less than the $20 million to $25 million it was hoped to draw in, according to inside sources. Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry at Christie’s in New York, was astonished at the success of the sales. “For three-and-a-half hours, between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Christie’s, it was as if the recession never happened,” said Kadakia. “Virtually every lot exceeded its estimate and the $7.7 million Annenberg Diamond astonished even the most seasoned diamond dealer. It was an auction to remember.”

THE SOUTH AMERICAN WAY: The fashion flock is migrating south for the weekend. Donatella Versace, Francisco Costa, Riccardo Tisci and Marc Jacobs, along with a slew of models and musical performers, are touching down in Rio de Janeiro for Oi Fashion Rocks to be held Saturday night at Rio’s Jockey Club, though the party starts tonight with a charity dinner hosted by Versace at the Copacabana Palace to benefit Rio Solidário. If focusing international attention on Rio is the idea, Oi, the largest Brazilian telecommunications conglomerate, is ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games — Fashion Rocks promises to be a star-studded fashion and music affair, featuring Versace, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein’s fall 2009 runway collections paired with performances by Diddy, Ciara, Grace Jones and Mariah Carey, respectively. Of course, the idea is to spotlight Brazil, so there will be plenty of local flavor courtesy of designers Alexandre Herchcovitch and Lenny, as well as musical acts Stop Play Moon and Daniela Mercury.

ROCKING FASHION: In New York, style hounds with a passion for music and fashion can head to Openhouse Gallery in NoLIta for Rock N Shop. Beginning tonight with a VIP party and continuing Saturday and Sunday, when the event is open to the public, Rock N Shop offers emerging bands alongside brands that are anything but mainstream. The event is like a concert crossed with a sample sale held in a pop-up shop. Indie bands such as Audio Fiction, A Fragile Tomorrow, Lead Pipe Cinch, Nikki Kelly and Paperdoll will perform as consumers scour racks of Antik Batik, By Malene Birger, Elizabeth & James, Gryphon, Haute Hippie, Lewis Cho, Mike & Chris, Notify Denim, Pink Tartan and Yumi Kim. Rock N Shop is produced by Brand, a pop-up event marketer founded by Nancy Berger, who spent 20 years in the fashion industry working for Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Dolce & Gabbana and Valentino. A portion of the proceeds of Rock N Shop will be donated to VH1 Save The Music.

MOSCOW DISCO: Further proof of Giorgio Armani’s recovery from hepatitis is the fact that the designer is headed to Moscow next week for multiple events and to show his belief that, despite the economic downturn, the city will quickly regain its energy. On Tuesday, he will host a cocktail party at GUM, followed by an Emporio Armani fall fashion show of men’s and women’s wear, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the opening of the first Emporio Armani there. Two days later, Armani will host a special presentation of the Giorgio Armani fall collections, mixed with a selection of Privé evening gowns, at Barvikha, the renowned luxury village outside Moscow. Armani, who last visited the Russian capital in 2002, said he is looking forward to “experiencing the city’s wonderful mixture of culture, the special combination of the historical and the contemporary and the city’s constant evolution.”

CHAMPAGNE WISHES: Christian Louboutin made a brief stop Thursday at New York’s Plaza Hotel to show off his latest collaboration. The accessories designer teamed with French Champagne house Piper-Heidsieck on Le Rituel — a special holiday package containing a bottle of bubbly and a crystal flute in the shape of a Louboutin heel, designed by the stiletto maestro himself. The partnership was inspired by an old ritual dating back to Belle Epoque Paris, when cabaret dancers would fill their shoes with Champagne to pass around for all of their male idlers to sip. Retailing for $500, Le Rituel is available at Colette in Paris, and hits select Neiman Marcus stores in November. Louboutin will celebrate the launch in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, beginning in Hollywood on Nov. 5. He also directed a 3-minute film on the concept, airing online at le-rituel.com.

CARNEGIE HALL HEADS WEST: Orange County got a dose of Chinese and East Coast culture last week, when South Coast Plaza played host to a Carnegie Hall art exhibit presented by Christian Dior. The occasion marked the first time Carnegie Hall has reached outside of New York to offer its festival programming. The collaboration, titled “Christian Dior Presents Photographs by Quentin Shih,” is part of Carnegie Hall’s “Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture.” Dior president Pamela Baxter, South Coast Plaza owner Henry Segerstrom and Quentin Shih were on hand Thursday evening for the presentation, where about 200 revelers joined in the evening’s festivities, including a show by Cirque du Soleil’s “Ka” performers. To create the works, Shih photographed models in Dior’s winter 2008 fashion show, then superimposed Chinese landscapes and characters to create a dramatic juxtaposition. The Beijing-based photographer’s work is on display through Nov. 7 at South Coast Plaza. The exhibition features 20 of the original 22 works that Shih created for the exhibit in China. The works next will be on display until Nov. 10 at Carnegie Hall.

QUIP WITH THE QUEEN: “You’ve been at it for awhile,” said Queen Elizabeth II to Vidal Sassoon as she awarded the hairdressing luminary a CBE at Buckingham Palace as part of her birthday honors list. “Yes ma’am, 67 years in fact,” Sassoon confirmed, who was recognized for his services to the hairdressing industry, to which the Queen replied, “Good Lord.” Sassoon celebrated the achievement with family and friends including Tamara Mellon, Julien Macdonald, Mary Quant and John Frieda at Il Vaporetto restaurant in London’s West End. “It feels so strange for a former shampoo boy to have received such an award, but it’s one I accept very gratefully,” said Sassoon.

Other Brits tapped included Natalie Massenet, the founder of Net-a-porter.com, and Christopher Bailey, creative director of Burberry, who were both awarded MBEs for their services to the fashion industry. Professor Frances Corner, head of the London College of Fashion, was made an OBE, also for services to the fashion industry, while her colleague at the London College of Fashion, Professor Helen Storey, was made an MBE for services to art. For services to the magazine publishing industry Nicholas Coleridge, managing director of Condé Nast U.K., was made a CBE.

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@rebeccaminkoff is bringing self-checkout to high fashion: The brand has partnered with @queuehop to bring its customers self-checkout options, beginning this holiday season at its SoHo store. (📷: @aurorarosephoto)

It was a big night for Demna Gvasalia at the Fashion Awards 2016 in London: The designer took home the award for international ready-to-wear designer for his work at @balenciaga, while his brand @vetements_official scooped international urban luxury brand. (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)